Winter Dreams
by seductive insanity
Summary: The first time she sees him, he looks oh so very, very, very lonely – and she decides wants to help him too, because just one lonely heart was better than having two. AU – /ItaSaku/


Winter Dreams

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Because she absolutely _detests, despites, disdains_ winters.

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This is how she spent most of her days now; with a hot cup of jasmine tea (with just a _little_ bit of honey – because her sweet tooth demanded a sweet taste to the bitter flavor of the boiled herbs), her thick framed (_oh so hipster like_) glasses right at the bridge of her nose and a different book almost every other day – because her brain just ravishes the book until it's done. She stays in the small java house as it's too cold outside and she hates the feeling of the chilling air caress her _(oh so porcelain_) skin, just shivering at the thought of the wind prickling the warmth she already holds so dearly.

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Because she hates winter and its unrelenting chills it gives her.

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(She _hates, hates, hates – _

Her small arm reaches for her mug of the (_oh so irresistible)_ beverage and wraps her smooth lingering fingers and takes it to her soft pale lips for a sip, her eyes never leaving the page she was currently reading. The focus she kept on her book immediately vanished at the sound of the _tingling_ bell the door happened to ring when a customer came, sensing a strange presence she unwillingly looked up only to be met with cold, smoldering eyes.

(– **winter)**

_Feels just like winter_, she thought dimly; eyes not leaving the peculiar man before her.

He (_of course_) breaks eye contact first and goes straight to the counter; his (_oh so soft and silky looking_) hair swayed as he walked. She finds him attractive (_oh so attractive_) and alluring (_like a magical spell_) and can't find the urge to touch the book she was so deeply in love with.

She realizes that she's seen him somewhere but seems to be unable to answer where, but he's just a stranger so she (_oh so difficultly_) tore her (_oh so deepening_) gaze away and returned to her book. Her heart (_oh so beautifully_) flutters and dances in her chest as she is brought back to her world of jasmine teas, hipster glasses and romance novels.

(She absolutely _loathes this – _

Because winter can't bother her here; hear the cries of loneliness and contempt in her mirthless heart.

She manages to sneak a glance at the man and just stares, because somewhere along the line she can hear the cries of help too.

_And she wants to help him too,_ because just one lonely heart was better than having two.

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_(– _**emptines**_**s**__) _

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* * *

His mind went numb, and as he walked (_oh so clumsily_) onto the sidewalk his eyes analyzed his surroundings; and as scary as it felt his eyes dawned to him the reality of this world.

(He was so _very, very, very_ –

He was just wandering through the small neighborhood not bothering with anything else; his mind was blank, his heart felt (_oh so painfully_) broken, and his feet were walking on its own – it just happened to stop right in front of this dainty (_oh so cozy_) place. He looks around and starts shaking off the snow of his coat and hair; he walked into the small business (oh so confidently) and caught the gaze of a green eyed maiden.

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Because after scrutinizing the girl barely a few feet away from him, he sees the exact replica of himself.

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(– **lonely**)

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He wasn't expecting to be staring into (_emerald_) green eyes; eyes that held so much secrecy it shook him, scared that a (_oh so pretty_) girl like herself could hold such grim secrets. He realizing that he had been staring took long self-assured strides to the counter to order something warm – complete opposite of whom he was, ironically.

Because he hates the duty he has been given. The weight of the world on his shoulders and it hurts so very, very, very much.

(He cries to anyone, anyone, and anyone who could listen; who could –

He stares at the girl as he sits down with his warm beverage (_oh so very black, black coffee_) and looks at her (_oh so very_) graceful features and complies; he hears her shouts of pain.

_And even if he can't help himself, he might as well try to help her_, because we can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.

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(– **help**)

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* * *

She stares at his god like features; with his beautiful long silky hair tied in a classic ponytail just by the base of his neck, and his odd but somewhat striking eye lines. She just stares at him trying (_oh so hard_) to remember but can't; so she just keeps shut and reads her book although she is barely registering the task at hand. She looks at the window right beside her; her mind viewing the beautiful scene in front of her and she just scowls and thinks at how pitiful winter is.

Because the worst of her _(oh so painful_) memories are rooted from the coldness of the snow to the chillness of the cold dry winter air.

(She tries _so hard_ to –

And her thoughts are interrupted by the bizarre man just across of her questioning her choice of facial expression, "What's with the scowl?" and for the first time she hears the (_oh so melodic_) sound of his voice.

"I," her hesitance was clear and thought out, "I hate winter." and while the statement was to sound rude and harsh the smile she accompanied the sentence seemed otherwise.

And he can almost see the problem in her distant eyes, as if saying that winter wasn't the problems but the memories that hid within it.

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(– **forget**)

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* * *

It's been days since she has seen the strange man; but she doesn't let anybody see her disappointment (_because her life was filled with too much of those_) and she lifts her head up and walks to her small little haven. Her (_oh so very, very, very pink_) hair was pulled into a messy bun that framed her face just right; and the skin that was left bare by her neck had gone cold, due to the freezing wind from the frigid skies. She closes her eyes briefly and inhales – because it has been ages since she's just gone outside and breathed some (_oh so fresh) _air – and her thoughts momentarily roam to her last thoughts.

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Because she thought she finally found someone that saw right though her.

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(And it was so _very, very, very, very _–

She smiles however when she enters the small shop; staring into the dark, obsidian eyes as she did just a few days ago. She watches as his mouth twitches as well, but not turning into a smile she thought it would have. She knows that even though they are just merely strangers; they felt more like old friends. And she doesn't know how (maybe it was his eyes?) but she was opening up, again.

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(– **scary, but blissful**)

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* * *

When they meet they rarely ever talk, just (_oh so gentle_) gestures and motions to communicate, because whatever they want to say their eyes will just stare and it feels like they don't need to speak in order to converse, but today was different. His eyes seemed to scream of hardships and suffering and it hurt her to see him agonize like this.

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Because she thought nobody was allowed to ache like that – to be able to ache alone.

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(There was always, always, always –

She looked at the man in front of her with her (_oh so big and pretty_) eyes, "Why do you look so sad?" questioning him with no hesitance.

He looked quite distraught, and offered her just a sigh of repulsion.

She, as if was reading his mind quickly responded, "Love's tough, huh?" His eyes widened so very slightly not a normal person could tell such a difference, but she knew him more than a normal person. After a moment or two he just briefly chuckled; his laughter filled with (_oh so empty_) faux happiness.

He looked right into her eyes and smiled at how easy to read he was in the presence of this girl (_this tiny little girl_), "My girlfriend –" as which she raised an elegant eyebrow at this statement, "– dated me for pity."

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(– **hardship**)

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And as if he predicted he felt a sudden change in the mood, "I never knew you as a ladies man, Itachi-san." Her teasing little remark was quickly disregarded as his eyes pierced onto her soul (_metaphorically_), "And how about you, Sakura-san?"

And he looks onto a girl with a detached gaze over his shoulder – to what he should know may be the window – and just stares, because she has the (_oh so mesmerizing, stunning and_) best green eyes he's probably ever seen, just then his thoughts are interjected by her soft soprano like voice.

"– I hate winter."

This time he laughs; this time it's full of true happiness and pleasure and he's finally happy, _here with her_.

* * *

She waits for him (_only for him_) and delicately picks up her mug of the (_oh so tempting_) jasmine tea and drinks the warm beverage. Her eyes wander to the book she currently has – she was a book player – and towards the window; as the snow was getting heavier and heavier and the air getting unkinder and frostier. Right now, she should be making a statement of how she hates winter, but doesn't – because she has _him_. Her ears pick up to the (_oh so light_) tingling bell of the door and is met with the eyes of his – she lets a true smile slip (just for now) – and motions him to the table, already clad in his usual black coffee.

Because right now, she is so giddy.

(Her eyes are so _much more, more, more_ –

And they just stay like that until he has to leave, not without gently looking sad for their upcoming departure from each other and she tip toes to kiss his (oh so smooth) cheek, then she, Sakura Haruno, has never felt so fuzzy.

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And it she has never felt so warm at winter.

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– _**warmer**_)

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* * *

The next time they meet she is met with different eyes yet the same facial features, and is struck with realization.

"Your brother is Sasuke?" she tries (_oh so desperately_) to hide the disappointment in her voice. "How, could I have been so stupid?" she worries after her mental state – because she was so stupid (_oh so freaking stupid_) to not see the (_oh so obvious_) resemblance – and realizes that she probably unconsciously didn't remember, because Itachi – her Itachi had made her (oh so oddly) happy – she probably didn't want to have these (oh so very, very, very) exultant memories be torn by those memories of him – of Sasuke.

"You know it hurts me so much to see you suffer too." and his voice was barely a whisper, almost inaudible to her ears.

_(He sounded so painfully, sincerely –_

"I know but –"

His demeanor had changed, "But what, Sakura?"

Her breath hitched and her voice wavered of uncertainty, "I –", her green eyes omitted the desperate looks in his eyes.

"– just don't want to get hurt again!"

–**sad**)

He for once has never seen the desperate search in her eyes for comfort, and all he could do was gingerly hold her hand. And for once she has never been so comforted and loved in her life.

And so she lets the silent question hang in the air, "Why, why keep it from me?"

"You would've had ended as my first girlfriend." The words had come out like a flowing river as if it was a mantra – and it _was_ – and her mind was confused and hurt, what had happened to his heart that made it (oh so very, very, very) hard; stone cold. He, sensing the complicate state she was in answered in the firmest voice her can manage, "She dated me to get over her love for Sasuke."

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And that sentence broke her.

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She saw the hurt in his eyes, the eyes he so courageously let her see; that it was like an abused puppy that hates the world – this reality of this world – and she can't help but cry (for him, because he can't). She stands, out of her seat (_her oh so warm seat_) and stands by Itachi, she takes her thin arms and wraps them around his neck. He buries his head into her stomach and he can't help but emit just one tear (_just one, just one, just one_), and he is in bliss – because he realizes he is not alone, and he doesn't have to be _stuck_.

And as they lay there (_just like that_) they formed an unbreakable promise that was shared between their hearts.

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We'll be together – you don't have be alone, anymore.

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* * *

Her eyes waver (oh so _softly_) at the movement of the fire as it dances to the beat of her heart (_thump, thump, thump_), everything is a painful memory and this is why she hates winter so much; because her memories are locked away in the snow and travel with the frosty air – because it reminds her of the cold, harsh ways of this season.

She doesn't remember the unnecessary sobs and crying, but instead remembers her feelings and how (_oh so very_) real they felt – because she has never felt like that for years – after living like a robot after he was gone, but that was just a detached memory that was just a (_oh so very, very, very hazy_ and) worthless dream .

So she'll bundle up with her jasmine tea, hipster glasses and her –

Her eyes drifted from the flickering fire and onto the façade of this man – his head on her lap (_oh so cute, and adorable_) – and she smiled (_that oh so sweet smile_) – that warm fuzzy feeling of contentment (_she hasn't felt in ages_) and this thing called love. She smiled at the irony at it all (_all of it, all of it, all of it)_ because she was finally (_oh so very_) happy with the only form it could be in.

– Itachi

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_And she realizes winter doesn't have to be so cold._

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A/N: Is it confusing? Read and review. And I'll try editing – just something I have to get off my chest.


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